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Imola history files

Friday, 18 September 2009 13:23 GMT
It's not just the Superbike class which has found the Imola venue a frequently critical one in the recent past. In World Supersport and Superstock racing, some true landmarks were made at the classic Italian venue.


In 2001 the World Supersport title went right to the wire, and in truly controversial fashion. Paolo Casoli (Yamaha Belgarda) was second on the Imola grid, but very much on pole for his first full FIM World Championship win, until a tangle with eventual second place man Karl Muggeridge saw him fall on the first lap. His fall gave him no points, and by finishing fourth in the race, Andrew Pitt (Fuchs Kawasaki) won the title by two points. That same year James Ellison won the Superstock 1000 title by five points at Imola, after finishing third in the final race of the season.


A fabulous Imola 1000 Superstock race in 2003, between eventual champion Michel Fabrizio (Alstare Suzuki) and one-time championship leader Lorenzo Lanzi (Rox Ducati) saw Lanzi crash on the penultimate lap and lose his championship advantage to Fabrizio. It would prove costly for the Ducati rider, who despite winning the final round would lose the overall war, by only three points.